Chapter 72: Controller: Jackal
A series of cold, mechanical notifications echoed in the void of Funahiki Gyō's consciousness.
[Ding! Your species has been altered: Human → Artificial Weapon · Death Weaver]
[Ding! Your level has increased to 40. Base attributes have been fixed.]
[Note: Your EXP has been erased. Your level can now only be increased through bodily modification.]
[Leveling system disabled. Equipment system disabled. Inventory system disabled. Skill system disabled. Quest system disabled. Title system disabled.]
[Remaining resurrections: 5]
[When remaining resurrections reach zero, you will suffer permanent death.]
[Exclusive skills learned: Pounce, Hidden Fang Thrust, Frenzy, Radioactive Miasma]
Funahiki Gyō stared blankly at his new status panel.
[Name: Forcibly changed to 'Descender 001' (Original: Funahiki Gyō)]
[Level: 40]
[Species: Artificial Weapon · Death Weaver]
[HP: 5000 / 5000]
[Honkai Energy Infection Progress: Erased]
[Constitution: 500]
[Strength: 200]
[Agility: 100]
[Intelligence: 0]
[Honkai Energy Resistance: Erased]
[Remaining Resurrections: 5]
[Skills: Pounce, Hidden Fang Thrust, Frenzy, Radioactive Miasma]
[Controller: Jackal]
...
[Pounce: use spider-like appendages to catapult forward, launching a pounce attack at the target.]
[Hidden Fang Thrust: Deploy the sharp blades concealed behind your feet to execute a long-range piercing attack. High concealment, devastating power.]
[Frenzy: Stimulate your nervous system to enter a brief state of hyper-aggression, attacking enemies with abandon while significantly increasing damage resistance.]
[Radioactive Miasma: Expel a toxic mist saturated with radiation. Living organisms within the mist will suffer continuous damage. The mist has a slight inhibitory effect on Honkai Energy.]
Funahiki Gyō's facial muscles twitched. He subconsciously tried to pull them into his signature, disgusting smirk, a sneer that had always unnerved his opponents.
But nothing happened. His face felt like a frozen mask. The muscles refused to obey, locked in a state of rigid neutrality.
A cold wave of shock washed over him as he realized the horrifying truth. He… he could no longer control his own body!
His gaze dropped to the final line on the panel, the two words burning into his mind: "Controller: Jackal." In that instant, Funahiki Gyō understood. His life was no longer his own.
As if on cue, Jackal released a Level 20 Charger-class Honkai Beast into the testing chamber.
"Go on," she said, her voice a detached, clinical hum. "Show me what you can do."
The moment her words fell, Funahiki Gyō's new body moved. His four arachnid limbs dug into the floor and launched him forward in a terrifying blur. The hidden blades on his heels shot out, piercing straight through the Honkai Beast with a sickening squelch.
The creature dissolved into particles, but he heard no notification of the kill. There was no chime, no experience gain. It was as if the system that had once defined him as a Descender had utterly abandoned him.
Jackal continued her tests, releasing a variety of different enemies to gauge every one of his new functions.
"Are these stats really so mediocre?" Jackal murmured, her eyes scanning the data stream flowing across her console. A flicker of disappointment crossed her features.
The top-tier Death Weavers she had engineered were capable of taking down an A-Rank Valkyrie. This specimen, this… Descender, could, at best, go toe-to-toe with a B-Rank.
Had she overestimated the potential of the Descenders? Or was the quality of this particular subject simply too poor?
Jackal pinched her chin, lost in thought. The possibilities were intriguing, but this unit was a failure. She set the controlled Funahiki Gyō aside and turned her attention to more pressing matters.
The moment her focus shifted, Funahiki Gyō seized the opportunity. He willed it with all his might, screaming in the silent prison of his mind. Log out! Log out now!
He found himself standing outside his game capsule, his clothes completely soaked in a cold sweat. He had gained a new, monstrous power, but at the cost of his freedom. He was a puppet.
Was this his fate? To spend the rest of his life as a mindless weapon, obeying the commands of a woman named "Jackal"?
'No… no… I can't go back in… I can't…'
Funahiki Gyō clutched his head, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He could not accept this. He would not be dominated, turned into an empty shell that only knew how to kill. Even if it meant losing the so-called status of "Successor," he would never allow it!
But his defiance was short-lived. A strange, compelling thought echoed in his mind, a silent summons that was not his own.
Funahiki Gyō's expression went slack, his eyes turning dull and vacant. The next second, his limbs moved with a will that was not his. He walked back to the game capsule, opened the lid, and sat down inside, logging back into the game.
When his senses returned, he was back in the sterile laboratory. Jackal's slender figure stood before him, and at the sight of her, a terror so deep seized him that he felt his very soul tremble.
The "Controller" listed on his panel wasn't just a game mechanic. It had reached across the digital divide and had taken root in his real-world body.
This woman, with her graceful posture and lab coat, was no longer just a scientist in his eyes. She was a god of death, an Anubis holding the scales of his existence.
He tried to fight, to move, to scream, but his body remained utterly still, a statue awaiting its master's command.
'Rovel Suou! Rovel Suou!!!'he roared frantically in the confines of his mind, his silent voice filled with venomous hatred.'It's all because of that man! Everything is because of him!!!'
[Skill Learned: Hokushin Ittō-ryū (Purple), Proficiency: 2123 / 10000]
As the system notification chimed in Rovel's ears, Raiden Mei completed her instruction, having taught him the entirety of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū style.
The sky had already deepened into twilight, the last embers of the setting sun vanishing behind the city's skyline.
"Phew," Raiden Mei let out a long, satisfied breath. "Your talent is truly remarkable, Rovel. You've managed to master the basics of Hokushin Ittō-ryū so quickly."
In just a single day, he had learned every fundamental sword form. While his execution was still far from proficient, he had committed the movements to memory. All that remained was diligent practice.
"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Mei," Rovel replied with a modest shake of his head.
Unfortunately, with the A-rank mission now officially complete, the "Raiden Mei's Hellish Training" buff had also expired. His proficiency gain had already slowed to a crawl.
"Come on," Rovel said, his tone as casual and familiar as always. "I'll take you home."
Mei nodded, a soft smile on her face.
It was the same bicycle as before. Raiden Mei settled onto the seat behind Rovel, her hands resting lightly on his waist. As she leaned forward, she could feel the distinct warmth radiating from his back, a comforting presence in the cooling evening air.
They had not been riding for long, however, when a commotion erupted from the crowd ahead.
"Is it more Death Soldiers?" Raiden Mei asked, immediately hopping off the bicycle, her posture tense and alert. "The frequency of their appearances in Changkong City has been getting much higher recently… Could something be about to happen?"
A genuine worry laced her voice.
Hearing her words, Rovel's brow furrowed. 'Could Cocolia already be agitating the Honkai Energy?'he wondered.'But… this is way too early. It's a full four months ahead of the original plot's timeline!'
Besides, with him here by Mei's side, that kind of catastrophic scenario shouldn't be able to unfold, right? He wouldn't let it.
Just as Rovel was about to spring into action, a figure moved faster than him. A flash of white descended from the sky, a powerful kick connecting with the Death Soldier and sending it flying into a wall, where it crumpled into a heap.
"Kiana?"
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